[maggief]

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking-news-story.asp?submitdate=200431401040

...Retired Brig. Gen. Walter Staudt, who gave Bush his direct commission as a second lieutenant out of Yale University in May 1968, said the Texas Air Guard had nuclear-capable jets, including F-101s and F-102s.

‘‘But I never heard of an F-102 carrying a nuclear weapon, so I don't see why you think these regulations would have applied,” the 81-year-old retired general said.

‘‘I love the guy,” Staudt said of Bush. ‘‘I'm so tired of this negative crap about him that I'd like to volunteer to build a barn and take you press guys out behind it and kick your asses.” ...

[Petronski]

Tagline.

[Mike Fieschko]

said the Texas Air Guard had nuclear-capable jets, including F-101s and F-102s.

‘‘But I never heard of an F-102 carrying a nuclear weapon, so I don't see why you think these regulations would have applied,” the 81-year-old retired general said.

IIRC, the 102's mission when Bush was flying them, was to intercept attacking Soviet bombers (as in, from Cuba), not ground support.

Wouldn't some 102s be armed with nuclear-tipped air-to-air missiles back then (or at least some, have no idea about TANG)?

Odd that the General says he never heard of them being armed with nukes.

This page says that the 102 carried the Falcon air-to-air missile with a nuclear warhead. google for 'F-102 nuclear', and read some of the results.

[MistyCA]

Wow! Thanks for posting that! I would pay to see him take a few guys behind the barn! In fact, I would offer to help build a barn!

[Verginius Rufus]

The Spokane Spokesman-Review.com piece from March 14, 2004, makes it sound like Bush admitted to using illegal drugs until 1974. My recollection of the 2000 campaign is that he never admitted to anything, but made a denial which covered the period at least back to 1974 (for some reason that was a significant year).